Dinner, In The Kitchen

Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits

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Shrimp and grits is a southern staple. Depending on the region and the chef, the recipe varies drastically. Some sauces are similar to etoufee, a broth, a red sauce, or something in between. I like to make mine with a tomatoey, chickeny broth. I like to saturate the grits with as much cheddar cheese as physically possible because cheese is delicious. I’ve made this for friends and all over the country. As my grandpa would say, it’s a solid B+, which is high praise, and he requests it every time I visit.

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This is one of my favorite dishes to eat and make for people I love.

Ingredients

  • Shrimp (raw)
  • Scallops (raw) (Optional)
  • Mushrooms (Optional)
  • Brussel Sprouts (Optional)
  • Artichokes (Optional)
  • Bell Pepper (Optional
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • 3 large Tomatoes or 8 oz package of cherry tomatoes
  • Bay Leaf
  • 3 tsp. Cumin
  • 1 tsp. Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric
  • 1 tbs. Honey
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Grits or Yellow Cornmeal
  • ½ cup Milk
  • 1 tbs Butter
  • 1 ½ cup Water
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese (or more to taste) 
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°
  • Chop mushrooms/bell peppers into bite sized pieces. Half brussel sprouts and artichokes. Place on a cookie sheet and coat veggies with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15 minutes or until browned.
  • Chop onions and garlic. Cook in sauce pan with 2 tbs. olive oil until translucent. Add in cumin, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. You can add more or less spices depending on your tastes. 
  • Chop tomatoes if using large/Toss in whole cherry tomatoes into the pan with the garlic and onions. Add one tbs. of water. Cover and let simmer for five minutes.
  • In medium saucepan bring water, milk, butter to a boil. Slowly add grits or yellow cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid clumps. Let mixture come to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning. 
  • Tomatoes should reduce and have a decent amount of liquid being very saucy. Add ½ cup water and stir to mix. 
  • Make sure to be checking grits. When the liquid is almost gone….
  • Add shrimp and scallops to tomato mixture. Cover. Shrimp and scallops should be thoroughly cooked in five minutes. 
  • Stir cheese into grits. Cover and set aside. 
  • When shrimp and scallops are done, add the roasted veggies to the tomato/shrimp/scallop sauce.

To Eat
Place grits in a bowl or plate, then ladle a generous portion of the shrimp/scallops/veggies tomato sauce on top. You can garnish with green onions or chives. Dig in!!!

Variation
You can always add in some andouille sausage to give it a NOLA kick or just add some extra yum.
I also love playing with the veggies you use. You can use as many or as few kinds of veggies as you want. In my opinion, the more the better!

 

Breakfast, In The Kitchen

Sweet Potato Hash

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Sweet Potato Hash for breakfast! | Cast Iron Skillet | Mug

I love breakfast. I waffle (pun) between sweet and savory breakfast foods. I love both equally!!! I found a yummy looking hash recipe on page 44 of the Sugar Free Cookbook by David Zinczenko. I took it as inspiration and completely changed it to fit my tastes. This recipe is gluten free, sugar free, and super yummy. It is really filling. You can add more eggs to this or more ingredients to feed several people. I actually made this as follows and ate it two days in a row because I had left overs. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs. Olive Oil
  • ¼ Onion
  • 1 Garlic Clove
  • 1 Sweet Potato
  • 12 Grape Tomatoes
  • ½ Can White Beans
  • ¼ of a Turkey Kielbasa
  •  ½ Fresh Spinach
  • 1 Egg
  • Salt/Pepper to Taste

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan. 
  • Mince garlic and onions. Add to pan with salt and pepper until browned. 
  • Chop sweet potatoes into small chunks. Half the grape tomatoes. Cut kielbasa into bite sized chunks. 
  • Add sweet potatoes and tomatoes to pan. Cover and let cook for six minutes or until tender and tomatoes have burst. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. 
  • Add kielbasa, white beans, and spinach. Cover for two minutes. 
  • Stir everything together. Make a small divot in middle of the food. Crack egg. Cover. Cook until the yolk is as runny as you like. 
  • Enjoy!

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In The Kitchen, Sides

Red, White, & Blue Recipes for the 4th

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The fourth of July is an excuse to invite a bunch of friends over and heat up the grill. If you’re looking for a patriotic and healthy addition to your celebration, look no further! Here’s some red, white, and blue for the day.
One of the best things about summer is watermelon, at least, according to me. I decided to add a fun twist to an old favorite. Grilled watermelon is not new, but it still remains fairly unknown. I’ve read included a couple of super yum variations. For the white and blue, I topped vanilla yogurt with homemade blueberry compote; it’s great for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

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INGREDIENT LIST
Grilled Watermelon
~ Watermelon

Feta, Basil Grilled Watermelon
~ Watermelon
~ Feta
~ Fresh Basil
~ Kosher Salt

Cilantro, Lime Grilled Watermelon
~ Watermelon
~ Fresh Cilantro
~ 1 Fresh Lime

Vanilla with Blueberry Compote
~ Vanilla Yogurt
~ 12 oz of Blueberries
~ ¼ of Water
~ ¼ of Sugar

Grilled Watermelon
Grilling watermelon is incredibly easy. The hardest part is cutting the watermelon. I promise, it is worth the effort! Tip: You can cut and dice everything up to the day before and keep it chilled in the refrigerator. I like to have all the ingredients in cups, so people can make their own buffet style!

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  • Cut the watermelon into pie shaped slices about ½ an inch thick.
  • Heat the grill to medium-high heat.
  • Put the watermelon on the grill for between 3-5 minutes each side until char marks appear.
  • Pull off grill, and it’s ready to enjoy. Or continue below…

Feta, Basil Variation

  • Cut basil into thin strips and sprinkle on top of watermelon
  • Sprinkle feta crumbles onto watermelon
  • Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (I used chocolate balsamic vinegar just because)
  • Add a dash of kosher salt (or any I just prefer kosher)
  • Dig in! This is my favorite variation!!!

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Cilantro, Lime Variation

  • Chop parsley and sprinkle on top of watermelon
  • Cut limes and squeeze over the watermelon
  • Dig in! This is light and delicious

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Vanilla Yogurt with Blueberry Compote
I love my yogurt with things mixed in. It’s great any time of the day. This is great for the holiday because it’s sweet, cool, and light for a healthy dessert. The blueberry compote needs to be made ahead of time, so it can cool down. It’s also amazing with bread pudding, pound cake, and so many other things.

  • Pour blueberries into a sauce pan with water and sugar (I saved a few berries for garnish later.)
  • Over medium heat, bring the ingredients to a simmer
  • Stir constantly until the berries have popped and the sauce thickens considerably
  • Pour compote into a container and set aside to cool completely
  • Once cooled, this can be poured over yogurt or saved for a week in the refrigerator


I hope you enjoy! I really had a blast making this and mostly eating! It just tastes like summer!